NASHVILLE — An effort that would see the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency abolished by mandate of the state has picked up a little steam in the state capitol, although it is still expected to fail.

Authored by Rep. Sherry Jones [D - Memphis] and Sen. Beverly Marrero [D - Memphis], the bill has been gaining co-sponsors in the House since it was filed earlier this year.

Ben West, Jr. [D - Hermitage], Mary Pruitt [D - Nashville], Harry Brooks [R - Knoxville], Janis Baird Sontany [D - Nashville] and Kent Coleman [D - Murfreesboro] have signed on as co-sponsors of the legislation.

According to an e-mail distributed by the Tennessee Wildlife Federation last week, several other representatives had also signed on as co-sponsors. However, they are no longer listed as sponsoring the legislation. Those representatives included Willie Butch Borchert [D - Camden], John C. Tidwell [D - New Johnsonville], Phillip Pinion [D - Union City], David Shephard [D - Dickson] and John Litz [D - Morristown].

The bill would remove authority of Tennessee's hunting and fishing and wildlife management from the TWRA and place it under a division of the Department of Environment & Conservation. Funds generated by the sale of hunting and fishing licenses — which currently are used soley for wildlife management and the operation of TWRA — would be placed into the state's general fund, meaning there would be no guarantee that all the money generated by hunters would be used to promote or improve hunting.

Additionally, some observers — including the Tennessee Wildlife Federation — have concluded that Tennessee would lose millions of dollars in federal funding through the Pittman-Robertson and Wallop-Breaux acts, which match funding for wildlife management and conservation at the state levels.

"It would simply destroy TWRA and [the] system of wildlife management that has led to the recovery of wild turkey, deer, waterfowl and many other species over the past 60 years," said the TWF.

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Simms pointed out that TWRA personnel did not favor the NRA's language, and that Tennessee Attorney General Paul Summers opined against the NRA language as well.

Eventually, though, the two sides reached an agreement, with Sen. Doug Jackson [D - Dickson] offering an amendment that changed the wording of the bill to read, "The citizens of this state shall have the personal right to hunt and fish, subject to reasonable regulations and restrictions imposed by law. The declaration of this right does not abrogate any private or public property rights, nor does it limit the state's power to regulate commercial activity."

That amendment paved the way for the Senate committee vote on Tuesday.

With the unanimous vote before the Judiciary Committee, the proposed amendment is now set for a vote before the full Senate. If it passes — and it is expected to do so easily — it will go back before the Senate next session, in early 2009, where it must pass by a two-thirds majority vote.

A similar process must take place in the House, where the amendment has already been approved by a 92-0 vote (in June 2007).

Once the bill has passed the Senate by a two-thirds vote, it must be approved by Tennessee's voters by a referendum vote, which could occur as early as 2010.

The legislation is co-sponsored by 89 members of the General Assembly.